"SILENZIO!" says the sign just past the massive bronze doors marking the entrance to St. Mary and the Martyrs Catholic Church in Rome, one of the two or three most important churches in Christian history. The sign reminds all that this is a church, and visitors from around the globe flock to the Piazza della Rotonda to see the austere, columned portico.

But the true beauty of the building is inside, where a geometrically perfect sphere could fit between ceiling and floor. A thick shaft of light flows into the space from a large circular hole – called an oculus ("eye") – at the apex of the domed roof. It's a design copied around the world. Two Italian kings and the artist Raphael are entombed along the walls.

Yet, if you got into a Roman cab and asked to go to the St. Mary and the Martyrs, you'd likely get a blank stare from the driver. No one uses the name of the church. This is the Pantheon, and despite the altar at the back, it is revered not as a Catholic church, but as the great temple to all gods built by the pagan Emperor Hadrian in 126 A.D. Though Hadrian built it, Pope Boniface IV is the man who ensured we can see it today. In the seventh century, he ordered the temple cleansed of its "pagan filth" and consecrated as a church to Christian martyrs. The practical impact was to halt the stripping away of marble and stone, saving the Pantheon from the fate of hundreds of ancient treasures torn apart to build new churches, homes, shops and roads.

The newest pope, Francis I, ruling from nearby Vatican City, won't hold the power of his predecessors in the Middle Ages, who were the spiritual leaders of a great empire and later the temporal rulers of a state that stretched across much of northern Italy. All that is left is Vatican City, one of the smallest countries in the world. But from the throne of St. Peter, the pope continues to wield great influence upon Rome, spiritual home of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

There is little in Rome that has not been influenced by popes. But for me there are a few key sites – some famous, some more obscure – that link the papacy and the city. As a new era begins for the church, visitors can trace history by visiting places important to the men who have worn "The Shoes of the Fisherman."

The Inheritance

The apostle St. Peter was the first pope, a position that like so many in the first three centuries of Christianity led to his martyrdom. By the end of the fourth century, Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire and the popes sat atop the spiritual world of the West. All around them were the creations of the old empire, which met with a mixed fate.

PANTHEON It's known as the best-preserved ancient building in the world, a space that still captivates thousands of visitors a day. Originally built as a temple to "all gods" (pan theos), it's renowned for the perfect spherical dimensions of its interior. It was ordered shut, along with Rome's other pagan temples, in 356. The temple was saved by Pope Boniface's edict converting it to a church. This lucky intervention might have been based on the erroneous belief that the space had been used to torture and execute Christians.

Whatever the reason, the decision allows modern visitors to see the brilliance of classic Roman Empire design.

Inside are the tombs of kings Victor Emmanuel II and III, along with that of the artist Raphael, whose decoration of the papal apartments in the Vatican is second only to Michelangelo's PietÃ¯Â¿Â½ sculpture, the Vatican dome and the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel as artistic treasures of the church in Rome.

Look for: A thunderstorm. There are few sights as dramatic as going to the Pantheon in heavy rain, the water flowing through the oculus onto the marble floor and down into the recessed drains. When lightning flashes, the walls are illuminated in blue light.

COLOSSEUM Unlike the Pantheon, there is little doubt that the Colosseum was the site of Christian martyrdom. Beginning in 80 A.D., the Colosseum was home to spectacles in which tens of thousands, including likely some Christians, were killed in games or public executions. But in the early Middle Ages, it was not considered a sacred Christian place, as evidenced by the large amount of masonry carted away for use on other projects. By the 16th century, though, popes had declared it the site of martyrdom and it was included on pilgrimage routes.

Today, the pope each year leads a "Way of the Cross" procession on Good Friday at the Colosseum. The site is remarkably well-preserved compared with the other great "bread and circuses" site, the Circus Maximus. The once-great racetrack (it's the site of the chariot race in "Ben-Hur") has been reduced over the centuries to little more than a grassy bowl.

The martyrdom of Christians at the Colosseum is commemorated by a large, plain cross on the first level of the stadium, as well as a plaque in Latin affixed above the main entrance commemorating it as a place where the faithful paid the ultimate price.

Look for: missing marble. The Colosseum was once clad in travertine marble, giving it a white sheen. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the marble was used for other buildings. The front steps of St. Peter's Basilica include marble from the Colosseum.

Related Links

The right toes of a bronze statue of Saint Peter in St. Peter's Basilica, have been worn down by centuries of pilgrims who traditionally touch the foot. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
An image of the retired, Pope Benedict XVI looks out from a billboard on a downtown Roman intersection. While images of Pope John Paul II remain popular seven years after his death, it will take a year or so to see if the immediate flurry of attention toward Pope Benedict remains once he has stepped into the shadows of the new pope, Francis I. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Hundreds of well wishers including these nuns wave goodbye to Pope Benedict XVI as the helicopter he is riding in takes him over St. Peter's Square and into retirement on February 28th 2013. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A priest shows his sentiments on a large card for Pope Benedict XVI as the Popemobile transports him through St. Peter's Square ahead of his final general audience Wednesday, February 27, 2013. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tourists holding an umbrella depicting other tourist sites in Italy, walk across the St. Peter's Square on their way to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The old and new of the Vatican can be seen as the statue of St. Peter, raised in 1847, in front of St. Peter's Basilica, looks down over St. Peter's Square as well as the final general audience of Pope Benedict XVI, displayed on a large television, Wednesday, February 27, 2013, on the eve of his retirement as leader of the world's Roman Catholics at St. Peter's Square, Vatican City. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A musician plays on the Ponte Sant'Angelo, a walk bridge that leads to the Castel Sant'Angelo behind him, in Rome. Castel Sant'Angelo or Castle of the Holy Angel, was once used by the popes as a fortress and castle and now is a museum. It originally was the tomb of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The 28 Holy Stairs, called the "Scala Santa" are housed in a part of the former Lateran Palace of the popes in Rome. They lead to what was the pope's private chapel, the "sanctum santorum." Catholics believe the steps were once part of the palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem and that Jesus walked up them to be condemned to death by the Roman official. St. Helena, the mother of the Emporer Constantine, is said to have brought the steps back from the Holy Land in the 4th Century. The marble steps are covered in wood to prevent wear and tear, though holes in the wood appear where it is believed that drops of Jesus' blood can be seen. Devout pilgrims climb the steps on their knees. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Michelangelo's Pieta sits in timeless beauty while visitor's phones glow, capturing an image in St. Peter's Basilica. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A view of St. Peter's Basilica looking up Via della Conciliazione in Rome. Italy. Vatican City, though only .2 square miles, is the spiritual home of the worldwide Catholic church MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A priest prays with his rosary outside the old Lateran Palace in Rome, where the Scala Sancta or Holy Stairs are located. Until 1870, popes were crowned at the Cathedral of St. John in the Lateran. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pope Benedict XVI waves to tens of thousands of pilgrims and well-wishers as the Popemobile transports him through St. Peter's Square ahead of his final general audience Wednesday, February 27, the eve of his retirement as leader of the world's Roman Catholics at St. Peter's Square, Vatican City. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Father Stephen Doktorczyk, on loan to the Vatican from St. Joachim Catholic Church in Costa Mesa, stands in the doorway of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In and around St. Peter's Square are dozens of offices that deal with matters of faith from sainthood to heresy to charity. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Pantheon in Rome is located on the Piazza della Rotonda. Finished by the Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD it was originally dedicated to all Gods - "pan theos." It was saved from destruction by plunderers who often used ancient buildings for bricks and ornamentation when it was repurposed into a church dedicated to martyrs to the church. Though it remains a Catholic place of worship, it is best known as one of the most intact pieces of Roman architecture in the world. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Vatican City is completely surrounded by Rome. It was created by a treaty with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1929. The Lateran Treaty resolved conflicts going back to the 1870 unification of Italy. While much of the Fascist legacy was swept aside after World War II, all sides agreed that the Lateran Treaty was worth keeping. ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Roman Colosseum was commisioned in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian and was completed by his son, Titus, in 80. It is located in the heart of piazza del Colosseo in Rome. There is controversy over whether Christians were regularly martryed on the site. It was not a pilgrimage spot in the Middle Ages, but by the 17th century had becoming connected with the death of believers. The Pope stops at the site every Good Friday. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Visitors enjoy a warm winter's day in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome which was before modern travel, a traveller's first view of Rome upon arrival. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A child plays with one of the fountains at the center of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome. The traditional northern entry to the city was meant to wow arriving visitors with the wealth, power and beauty of the city that was run by the popes until Italian unification in 1870. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Pope's throne (Cathedra Romana), is located in the apse of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, his cathedral as Bishop of Rome. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Two nuns try to get a glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI during his last public appearance. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A nun shares her souvenir purchase of Pope covered containers of rosary beads with her fellow sisters after Pope Benedict XVI final exit from the Vatican. There are many shops around Vatican City that specialize in religious items both priceless and inexpensive. Rome has been a tourist attraction for more than 2,000 years. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Visitors to St. Peter's Basilica touch the right toes of the bronze statue of Saint Peter that has been worn down by centuries of pilgrims who traditionally touch the foot. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Hundreds of well wishers turned out at St Peter's Square to to say goodbye to Pope Benedict XVI as the helicopter he was riding in took him over St. Peter's Square and into retirement on February 28th 2013. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Hundreds of well wishers including these nuns wave goodbye to Pope Benedict XVI as the helicopter he is riding in takes him over St. Peter's Square and into retirement on February 28th 2013. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A couple window shops priest vestments at a store in Rome. Because of the large number of priests - resident and visiting - there are several vestment shops in Rome. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A visitor to St. Peter's Square waves the Spanish flag ahead of the Pope's final general audience Wednesday, February 27, 2013. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
With an air of celebration, tens of thousands of pilgrims and well-wishers try to draw attention as the Popemobile transports Pope Benedict XVI through the crowds in St. Peter's Square. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Visitors to the Roman Colosseum have some fun among the ruins. Though popes dedicated it as a place of martyrdom for Christians, most scholars believe that many more Christians died at the nearby Circus Maximus and other sites around the city. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pope Benedict XVI reaches to bless a child that was handed to him as he toured the crowds gathered for his final general audience Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Benedict is the first Pope to voluntarily retire in more than 500 years. He is to retain the title "Pope Emeritus" and live in a former convent on the Vatican City grounds that has been converted for his use as a residence. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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